simms



(No Model.) A 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. H. SIMMS.

PNEUNLATIGy WATER ELBVATOR.

No. 484,255. 1 Patented Oct. 11, 1892.

Eng] mi tllll .lm f'fi ui u l {IW (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. H. SIMMS. PNEUMATIG WATER ELBVATOR.

Patented 001;. 11, 1892.

III/II UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE,

ALONZO H. SIMMS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES E. EOKERLE, OF SAME PLACE.

PN EU MATIC WATER-ELEVATOR.

SyECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,255, dated October 11, 1892.

Y Application filed August 17, 1891; Serial No. 402,833. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern/.-

Be it known that l, ALONZO H. SIMMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of yJefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Water-Elevators; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of pneumatic water elevators or distributers in which an air-pump, reservoir, and immersed pumping-cylinders are employed. i

The object of my device is to provide more simple, cheap, durable, easily-operated, and effective means than those formerly in use; and with this end in view my invention consists in the peculiar features and combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims. y

In the accompanyingv drawings, Figure 1 represents a general View of my mechanism as applied to a cistern or well; Fig. 2, a vertical section of lthe pump proper, and Figs. 3 and 4 longitudinal vertical sections of the pu mp-valve mechanism.

The reference-letter a represents an air-reservoir or compression-chamber into which air is pumped through the medium, of an air-compressor b and pipe b. An outlet-pipe c, provided with a back-pressure valve c and cock c, leads from the reservoir to the pump d, which is completely immersed in the water of a well, cistern, or other place. The pump proper d comprises a pair of vertical cylinders f f', connected at the bottom by discharge-pipes g g and at the top by a horizontal cylinder or chamber h, containing a reciprocating air-valve fi. The opposite ends of the cylinder h are provided with external right and left screw-threads j, which screw into threaded openings in the sides of conical ante-chambers 7c, cast integral with the upper heads 7c of the vertical cylinders fj". These threaded ends of the valve-cylinder project a short distance into the conical ante-chambers and are provided with caps h', which arrest the movement of the valve. Compressed air is fed to the cylinder through a pipe c, which enters the top of the cylinder at a point midway between its opposite ends, and air-exhaust ports m m', are located at equal distances upon opposite sides of the feed-pipe.

The valve-cylinder is provided with stopshoulders l, which are squared to receive a wrench for screwing it in place.

The valve proper comprises a stem n, provided with elongated cylindrical cut-o s n 'n' between which is located a piston o, having beveled sides o'. The cut-offs are each provided with longitudinal perforations o, through which the air passes.

In order to overcome dead centers that might possibly occur in the pressure upon opposite sides of the piston 0, the latter is located off acentral point between the two cutoffs n n and about two-thirds the distance between the contiguous ends of the-cut-os, so that the air-chamber between the piston and cut-oifs will be two-thirds larger upon the right of the piston than upon the left. Hence unequal pressure upon the piston will always ensue and equilibrium cannot be established to cause a dead-center. The cutoffs are timed to close one exhaust-port while t-he other is opened.

The valve t is actuated by a pair of alternatin g floats, forming weights pp', suspended from bellcrank levers q q', fulcrumed on the end of an arm r. The upper arm of each lever is forked to pass loosely astride the valve-stem n and engage the tappets s when moving away from the valve-cylinder. The lower ends of the vertical pu mping-cylindersff are provided with removable heads K K, containing annular recesses u to receive the smooth ends of the cylinders and form aslipjoint. Suitable fibrous packing t is interposed to insure a tight joint. The heads K K are locked tightly. on the cylinder ends by bolts c, which construction greatly facilitates the work of connecting and disconnecting the parts by not requiring special tools, as would be the case were they screwed on the cylinders. The discharge-pipes g g are provided with check-valves w wand emptyinto a vertical distributing-pipe g, located between the cylinders. W'ater is admitted to the cylinders through the foot-valves in the bottom heads, and these valves are of a size sufficient to allow one cylinder to fill before the other becomes empty.

IOO

The preferred construction of myinvention having been set forth, I will now proceed to describe its operation.

Assuming that the reservoira has first been 5 suitably charged with compressed air, the

cock c opened, and the pump-valve shifted to the right, as in Fig. 2, the incoming air will pass through pipe c into the pump-cylinder h, and, being cut off from the right-hand portion of the cylinder by the piston o, goes through the perforations o in cut-off n', thence through the cylinderinto ante-chamber k, where its force is exertedupon the top of the water in the filled cylinder f, forcing it out at the bottom through pipe g, check-valve w, and distributing-pipe g, to any suitable point. The force, of the water in passing-out of pipe g closes check-valve w', and prevents the water from passing into the otherl cylinder. While the water is thus escaping from the lett-hand cylinder f the right-hand cylinder f has been fillingthrough the foot-valve and in the filling operation the oatf is raised and the upper arm ofthe bell-crank lever thrown back against the cap on. the end of the horizontal valve-cylinder 7L, in which position the lever remains until the water sub sides and the float draws it back. When the lever q` is thus pushed back against the valvecylinder, as inFig. 3, it does not carry the valve with it, butleaves the opposite lever q the easy task of shifting the valvealone when pulled down by its weight p. Should the pistono by chance become left inthe positionshown in of theunequal air-space upon its opposite sides.

4o central position, as shown in Fig. 3, then the pressure would be equal on both 'sides and;

the valve of course would not move; but when in this posi tionport m is partially open. Consequently the air entering upon this side of 1 the central piston o is reduced in pressure on account of the discharge through m. The other exhaust-port a being entirely closed and no escape for the air entering upon this. side of the central piston o, the air at onceV sets up expansion in the water-cylinder f, and

Both chambers are supposed to be` full, and

both bell-crank levers thrown back againstf the ends of valve-chamber, as shown in Fig. 3, which is always the case, as the two weights are just buoyant enoughto raise these bell- This 6o cranks when both chambers are full.

Fig. 3, it will immediately be shifted by reason Now if the construction were such that both exhaust-portsmm should be either open` or closed when the piston o occupies a.

leaves the Valve entirely free to be acted upon independently of the oce of the weights j ust to accomplish this one movement of starting, after which the valve is controlled Wholly by the weightsA alternately. As soon as the water recedes fromthe oat p in the left cylin- 'der and the weight of the float is brought to bear upon the 'bell-crank lever q the upper arm 4of the lever'will shift the valve 'L' to the left, as in Fig. 4, thereby closing the right exhaust-port m and opening the left exhaust-port m, so that the air can escape from the left and allow the cylinder f to lill while the righ-t cylinder is being emptied in precisely the same way the rst cylinder f was.

Having thusdescribed myinvention, what I Vclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-fl. In a pneumatic waterfelevator, the com.- bination of a compressed-air reservoir provided with a discharge pipe leading to a valve-cylinder, a .valveI provided with cut-o1fs located.` in.` the cyl-inder, said cut-ods being provided `with perforationaa piston located oda central point between the contiguous ends of the cut-ods, bell-crank levers, and weights attached to they levers, all arranged and/adapted to operate in the manner and for the purpose set forth.A

2. In a pneumatic water-elevator, a valve provided without-offs and a piston located off acentral point betweenthe cutoffs,in combination with levers attached to floats and ar ranged to act independently of the valve when moved in one. direction and to actuate it when moved inthe opposite direction,sub stantially as described.

3. In a pneumatic water-elevator, the-combinationof a com pressed-air reservoir provided with a discharge-pipe leading toa cylinder containing a horizontally-movable airvalve provided with perforated cut-offs, a piston located 0E a central point between the cut-olfs, and weights and levers for actuating the valve, allarrauged and adapted to operate in the manner substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a horizontal reciprocating valve provided with perforated cutoffs, a piston located oft a central point between the cut-offs, and gravitating weights connected at the opposite ends of the valve to bell-crank levers, as and for the purpose substantially as set forthf In testimony WhereofI aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO H. SIMMS. Witnesses:

I. B. OWENS, R. G. DU Bois.

IOO

IIO 

